Stovetop fires are a well-known residential and commercial hazard. An unattended stovetop fire, for example a grease fire, can cause damage to nearby appliances and cabinets. Worse, stovetop fires can lead to structural damage or injury. Because the propensity for stovetop fires is so pervasive, an efficient means of automatic fire suppression is desired. Even if a stovetop fire is attended, an automatic extinguishing method may be more effective, safe, and expedient compared to manual means.
A number of conventional automatic stovetop fire extinguishers, which mount above the stovetop surface, are available. These include: U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,461 to Stager: U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,677 to Stager; U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,278 to Mikulec; U.S. Pat. No. 7,472,758 to Stevens and Weintraub; U.S. Pat. No. 7,610,966 to Weintraub et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,075 to Williams; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,307 to Williams. The array of conventional fire suppression systems vary from activation by melting of a fusible pin (Stager '461), to melting a solder fusible plug (Stager '677), to burning of a fuse (Williams '307, Stevens '758), or to activating via a glass bulb fuse mechanism (Mikulec). The mounting mechanism for these systems similarly vary from interconnected tubing (Mikulec) to pendulum anchors (Stager '461), to bolts (Stager '677), or to magnetic systems requiring assembly (Williams '307 and Williams '075).
Conventional fire suppresors, STOVETOP FIRESTOP® fire suppressor (Williams-Pyro, Inc., Fort Worth, Tex., USA), which are particularly well suited to a stovetop environment, include a container of an extinguishing agent mounted to a vent hood above the stovetop and activated by a fuse. An example of such an suppressor is shown in FIG. 1. The bottom of the container contains a fuse. A fire on the stovetop ignites the fuse, which in turn detonates an igniter. The igniter opens the bottom of the container, thereby allowing the disbursement of the extinguishing agent onto the fire and the stovetop. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the container is secured via a magnet to a hood over the stove.
A conventional initiator comprising a fuse is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The conventional initiator is further described below with reference to FIG. 2. The conventional fuse assembly is effective at heat activating the initiator cup; however, a shortened activation time with excellent reproducibility of the same for a stovetop fire suppressor would be desirable for reasons to include safety and damage to surrounding structures and figures.